Nub pile fabric



Aug. 27, 1940. F. E. MAsLAND, JR 2,212,744

NUB PILE FABRIC Filed May 4, 1938 s '22 22 20 2i g 21 Patented Aug. 27, 1940 l UNITED STATES NUB PILE FABRIC Frank` E. Masland, Jr., Carlisle, Pa.

Application May 4, 1938, Serial No. 205,935

6 Claims.

My invention relates to pile yarns and pile fabrics.

A purpose of my invention is to produce a pile fabric having a novel, unusual and attractive appearance produced by the presence of nubs in the pile yarn.

A further purpose is to improve the attractiveness of floor coverings such as rugs and carpets by distributing nubs of a color or colors diierent from and preferably contrasting with the ground color of the pile or the colors of the adjacent portions of the pattern.

A further purpose is to distribute distinctively colored nubs in a pile.

A further purpose is to employ a twist in the single and in the ply, and a length of pile, which will prevent the nubs from popping out of the pile.

A further purpose is to employ a twist in a nub pile yarn of standard or loose twist, of between 1 and 4.5 turns per inch in the single (preferably between 3 and 4 turns per inch in the single) and between 1 and 4 turns per inch in the ply (preferably between 3 and 3.5 turns per inch in the (preferably between 0.05 and 0.15 inch).

A further purpose is to incorporate nubs in a frieze pile oor covering, using the overtwist of the frieze to grip the nubs and prevent them from popping out.

A further purpose is to incorporate nubs in a frieze pile yarn having a twist of between 3.5 and 6 turns per inch in the single (preferably between 4 and 5 turns per inch in the single) and between 6 and 15 turns per inch in the ply (preferably between 9 and 11 turns per inch in the ply), using a pile height not in excess of 0.75 inch (preferably between 0.05 and 0.50 inch).

A further purpose is to employ nubs having a length when twisted into pile yarn substantially as great as the height of the pile sothat part of most nubs will be gripped firmly in the bind of the weave.l

A further purpose is to employ nubs longer than twice the pile height (longer than a pile loop before cutting), so that at least one part of each nub will be gripped inthefbind of the weave.

A further purpose is to cross rdye a pile yarn.

55 A further purpose is .to employ nubs in a pile ply) with a pile height of less than 0.15 inch to prevent observation of lining enects due to errors in weaving.

Further purposes appear in the specincation and in the claims. l

My invention applies not only to but also to nub pile fabrics. v

In the drawing I illustrate vtwo only of Imany possible embodiments of my invention, choosing the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration of thel principles involved l0 and satisfaction in use.

Figure 1 is an enlarged vertical sectiony of a nub pile door covering, with the spacing of they weave somewhat exaggerated. f

nub pile yarns, 5

Figures la and 1b are fragmentary views corre- 15 sponding to Figure l, and showing variations.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the nub floor covering of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a nub pile yarn which may be used in the pile of Figures 1 and 2. 20 The yarn is partially pulled apart to show the plies.

Figure 4 is a perspective View similar to Figure 3, showing an alternative nub pile yarn which may be employed in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation of a nub.

Figure 6 shows an uncut pile in enlarged vertlcal section.

In the drawings like numerals refer to like parts.

For some years manufacturersof sweaters and suitings have produced noveltyeiects by embodying nubs in the yarn used for knitting or for a continuous weave. Due to the'continuousness of the yarn, and the absence of presentation'of 35 cut ends of yarn in the fabric, it was possible in such prior art fabrics to prevent the nubs from popping out, notwithstanding that they have not been fully homogeneous with the body liber of the yarn.

It has been discovered by the present inventor that the incorporation of nubs in pile fabrics' produces a very attractive, desirable and unusual eii'ect, and that the diiiiculties encountered through the tendency of the nubs to pop out of the pile may be overcome by special precautions as" explained herein. Nubs as referred to herein designate pellets, pills or'spheres of liber which in shape are usually cylindrical, ellipsoid, spherical or irregular. The term nubs includes the cylindrical pellets sometimesldescribed as' slugs.

The nubs ordinarily consist of carpetwool, but they may also be madefrom other suitable animal hairs or artificial staple fiber, forexample as described in the U. S. patent applications of 55 Porter and Barker, Serial No. 180,026, filed December 15, 1937, for Yarn and fabric, Patent No. 1,143,574, granted January 10, 1939, and Masland, Serial No. 147,883, filed June 12, 1937, for Textile ber, yarn, fabric and method, which has resulted in Patent No. 2,174,991, granted October 3, 1939, upon continuation application Serial No.

. 250,001, led January 9, 1939, for Textile fabric.

It is expected that in the ordinary case the body of the pile yarn will be carpet wool or rayon, and that the nubs will be carpet wool. In special cases, however, the body of the yarn might be carpet wool or some other animal hair, with nubs of rayon. Of course the body of the yarn might be a blend of any suitable bers, such as carpet wool with the rayon described in one of the patent applications above referred to. In a particular case, the nubs themselves might be made from a blend of bers.

Ordinarily the nubs will be dyed before incorporation into the pile yarn. Where, however, the nubs are of a different character from the body ber of the pile yarn, the yarn containing the nubs may be cross dyed. Of course successive lengths of the nub yarn may be dyed, in the yarn, different colors to produce patterns if desired, the dyeing process used being either one which will aifect only the ground ber, where the nubs have already been dyed, or else resort may be had to cross dyeing of successive lengths differently.

To produce the nubs, the ber may simply be placed in a tumbling drum which will reduce it to pellets of the desired size, or to pellets of various sizes, from which the pellets of the desired size may be sorted by any desired method of classification.

The nubs produced are of course not even or uniform, as numerous irregularities are likely to be present in them. There is, also, variation in dimension and contour among nubs of the same grade even after classification.` In the cylinderlike nubs, known as slugs, the variation is even greater than in the small sperical nubs.

The preferred method of forming nub pile yarn is to introduce the nubs, from a separate feedbox containing only the nubs, onto the main roving just before it is delivered to the finishing cylinder of the card. As well known in the art of forming nub yarn for making sweaters and the like, the workers and strippers of the nishing cylinder should be set so that the nubs will pass through the card and into the final card roving without being materially changed and with a minimum of color distortion.

A less desirable process for forming the nub pile yarn is to introduce the nubs into the original ber mix before carding, by physically mixing the nubs with the ber blend in the preparing or picking process. In this case the nubs pass through the entire carding process and are not only reduced in size, but, as the nubs will ordinarilybe of a contrasting color with respect to the body of the yarn, the amount of fiber carried away fromthe nubs is distributed in the main yarn roving, distorting the original shade and giving the finished yarn the undesirable characteristic known in the trade as a heather overcast. This is particularly true where the nubs have already been dyed to a contrasting color before introducing into the ber mix, but will also be true where cross dyeing is later to be employed to give a contrasting color to the nubs.

It is not believed to be necessary to describe in further detail the process of forming the nub roving, as the process is in its broad aspects old.

The final card roving, produced by either of the processes described, or in any other suitable way, contains a more or less chance distribution of nubs throughout its length. The roving may be changed into yarn by any suitable spinning process, adjusting the draft of the card sliver in the spinning mule or spinning frame to suit the particular nubs being employed, as will be recognized in the art, and desirably using the twists described below.

In the preferred procedure, the nub before introduction into the roving will be very well felted so that it will be extremely tough, due to extended tumbling. This enables the nub to. resist the tendency of the carding to tear it apart and .distribute it in the rest of the mix. This desirable thorough felting of the nub, which enables the nub to retain its identity and thus assures distinctiveness of the contrasting color, prevents the nubs from becoming thoroughly homogeneous with the body ber of the yarn and increases the likelihood that the nub adjacent to the cut end of the yarn (in the usual cut pile all nubs are thus situated) will pop out of the pile under ordinary abrasion conditions encountered by a oor covering, such as a rug or carpet, or under the action of some implement of cleaning, such as the broom, vacuum cleaner, carpet sweeper, etc. An important feature of the present invention is the prevention of the tendency of the nub to pop out of the pile yarn.

The present inventor has discovered that the twist of the pile yarn is most important in preventing the tendency of the nubs to pop out, and that a definite relation should exist between the twist of the yarn and the maximum height of the pile.

Where pile height is referred to herein, it may be measured by the method approved by the American Society for Testing Materials, in which the difference is taken between the height of the top of the pile above the bottom of the backing, on the one hand, and the height of the top of the backing above the bottom of the backing. Or where a wire is used in weaving, the pile height may be measured by the height of the wire above the backing. The American Society for Testing Materials method is of more universal application, but the measurement of wire height is easier, and the two methods are sulciently closely in agreement for the present purpose (the American Society for Testing Materials method' w`ill give a reading approximately 0.01 inch higher).

In making pile yarn of the so-called standard or loose twist type, which has a twist in the single between 1 and 4.5 turns per inch (preferably between 3 and 4 turns per inch), and in the ply between l and 4 turns per inch (preferably between 3 and 3.5 turns per inch), the pile height should not exceed 0.15 inch (preferably between 0.05 and 0.15 inch), in order to prevent the nubs from popping out of the pile. For best results, with either of the above ranges of twist mentioned, the pile height should not exceed 0.10 inch in order to prevent the nubs from popping out. In case the pile height be extended above 0.15 inch with standard twist pile yarn, the tendency to throw off the nubs is so great as to render the fabric impractical.

In standard twist pile yarn, the weight of the yarn in the single will ordinarily be between 90 and 150 yards per ounce avoirdupois and there will usually be a plurality of plies, preferably three, but permissibly two or more.

In the case of a frieze floor covering, the twist in the single should be between 3.5 and 6turns per inch (preferably between 4 and 5 turns per inch), and in the plyv between 6 and 15 turns per inch .(preferably between 9 `and. 1l turns per inch), and the pile height may be increased to as much as threelquartcrs ofan inchvwithout serious-diiiiculty through throwingoif the nubs. In the preferred frieze floor. covering, the pile height will be between 0.05 and 0.50 rinch'.

The nub frieze pile' yarn will usually `have a Weight of betweenf90 and '165 yards per ouncev avoirdupois and there will usuallyl be a plurality of plies,.prefera.bly three, but permissibly two or more. f i Y The reason for the much increased permissible pile height in the nub frieze -pile yarn is that there is apparently'a certain amount of overtwist which is partially released when the pile is cut. Nevertheless, a; certain amount of this overtwist -remains, even after cutting of the pile, .to causeV gripping of vthenub by the twist inV thesingle and in the ply and to prevent opening up of the pile,

which is `a contributory cause of popping out of the nub. y

In cases where nubs of substantial flength may be used, for example long cylinder-like slugs, it is very desirable to have the'nub length greater than the height of the pile, so that in many cases part of the nub will be gripped firmly in the bind of the weave. This feature of having the nubs longer than the pile height is of course more advantageous in standard twist pile yarns,

For best results, the nub should in many cases V be longer than the loop (twice the length of the pile), so that after cutting of the pile at least half of the nub will be gripped in the bind oi' the weave.

The weaving procedure may be the same in the case of'nub pile fabrics as in the case of any other standard pile fabric. The fabric may be finished by shearing or singeing or otherwise in any desired manner.

In many cases it will be desirable to give the nub pile yarn a resin treatment after spinning and before weaving, or to give the fabric a resin treatment after weaving. The resin, particularly when applied to the yarn before weaving, im-

proves the bonding of the nub not only by physically bonding the nub to the adjacent body ber of the yarn, but also by causing the yarn to hold its twist more effectively, especially in the case of frieze yarn.

As examples of suitable resins which may be applied to the nub pile yarn to bond the nubs. or to the nub pile fabric, polybasic acid-polyhydric alcohol resins, vinyl ester or polyvinyl alcohol type resins, polymers of alkyl substituted acrylic acid such as methyl, methacrylate and urea-formaldehyde resins are suitable. These will ordinarily be supplied in aqueous suspension, except in the case of urea-formaldehyde resins, which may be obtained as liquid.

The nubs may conceivably be all of one color,

but it is preferable in most cases to use a plurality -of different colored nubs. Where cross dyeing is resorted to, the nubs in various parts of the -fioor covering may be cross dyed differently, as where several different fibers are used for the lnubs.

The nubs not only imparta more attractive and novel eiiect to the face of the fabric, but they also' prevent observation of lining eifects due to inaccurate weaving, since the eye does not readily folldw lines on the surface in the nub fabric.

The featuresr of the present invention may be applied in iioor coverings of various types, such asl Brussels, Wilton, Axminster, Chenille and Tapestry carpets. The standard weaves for these various types are of course well known, and may` be found in any suitable text, such as Brinton, Carpets (London 1919) 33, 35, 36, 45, 51, 52, 53, 65, 67, 82, 83, 84. The nub pile yarn may be used as the pile in any of these types of carpets. To illustratethis, tapestry carpet weaves are shown in the drawing, as this weave exhibits all of the features which are important to the present invention.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pile 20 consists of tufts 2|. which are supported in the backing 22. As the novelty of the'invention does not reside in the particular form of weave, the backing 22'may be of any suitable type. It here consists of warps 22', stuffer warps 222, and filling 223.

Incorporated in the pile yarn and forming part of thev tufts, are nubs 23 which desirably ccntrast in color with the body fiber 24 of the pile. When one looks at the face Aof the rug, the color or pattern of the body fiber is visible as a background, with the color or colors of the nubs accenting the effect.

As already explained, the nubs may desirably be as long as the height of the pile as shown at 23' in Figure la, so that one end of the nub will be bound in the weave as at 25, or the nubs may be longer than a pile loop, as shown at 232 in Figure 1b, so that the nubs in both tufts formed by cutting the loops will be gripped in the bind of the weave as shown at 26.

Figure 3 shows a standard or loose twist pile yarn comprising three piles 2l, 28, 29, the twist in the single being within the range specified above, and the twist in the ply, likewise within the range specified above, being opposite to the twist in the single. Nubs 23 are incorporated in the pile yarn,

Figure 4 shows a nub frieze pile yarn consisting of three plys 39, 3|, 32, the twist in the single and in the ply being in the ranges specified above, and nubs being seen at 23. The twist in the ply is of course opposite to that in the single.

Figure 5 shows a detail of a nub 23. It will be understood that the shapes of the nubs will vary.

While the chief benefit from the invention will be obtained where a cut pile is used, the invention may be applied to fabrics having the pile partially or wholly uncut. To illustrate this, uncut loops are shown at 33 in Figure 6.

It will be evident that pile fabrics according to the present invention may be made by weaving, stitching, hooking, punching, flocking (blowing) or any other suitable process.

In view of my invention and disclosure varia- 4 the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, whatrI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A oor covering including pile yarn and having a cut pile which contains nubs bound by the twist in the pile yarn, the nub length being in excess of the pile height, whereby many of the nubs can be gripped by the bind of the weave.

2. A oor covering including pile yarn and having a cut pile which contains nubs bound by the twist in the pile yarn, the nub length before cutting being in excess of twice the pile height, and at least half of the nubs being gripped in the bind of the weave.

3. A nub floor covering having a cut pile containing nubs, the twist of the pile yarn being between 1 and 4.5 turns per inch in the single and between 1 and 4 turns per inch in the ply, the pile height being not in excess of 0.20 inch and the nubs being longer than the pile height so that many of the nubs can be gripped in the bind of the weave.

4. A woven cut-pile floor covering whose pile consists of twisted pile yarn having body fiber and nubs distributed throughout and incorporated in the yarn and contrasting in color with the body ber, the nub length being greater than the pile height and the nubs masking lining effects on the face of the pile due to the weaving.

5. A woven cut-pile floor covering whose pile consists of twisted pile yarn having body fiber and nubs distributed throughout and incorporated in the yarn, the twist in the pile yarn being between 1 and 4.5 turns per inch in the single and between 1 and 4 turns per inch in the ply, the pile height being not in excess of 0.15 inch and the nubs being longer than the pile height, so that many of the nubs may be gripped in the bind'of the weave.

6, A frieze woven cut-pile oor covering whose pile consists of twisted pile yarn having body ber and nubs distributed throughout and incorporated in the yarn, the twist in the pile yarn being between 3.5 and 6 turns per inch in the single and between 6 and 15 turns per inch in the ply, the pile height being not in excess of 0.75 inch and the nubs being longer than the pile height, so that many of the nubs can be gripped in the bind of the weave.

FRANK E. MASLAND, JR. 

